Walnut Horchata

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons white rice
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
  • Zest of half a lime
  • 3 cups hot water
  • 3 cups cold water, divided
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

  1. Place the rice in a blender or spice grinder and process until thoroughly pulverized. Transfer to large bowl or pitcher and add walnuts, cinnamon, and lime zest.
  2. Add hot water; cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
  3. Transfer mixture to a blender and blend as smoothly as possible. Add 2 cups cold water and blend again until thoroughly combined.
  4. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl. Slowly pour rice mixture into strainer and let liquid drain into bowl. Slowly press as much of the solids through the strainer as possible. (The more slowly you strain the mixture, the smoother the horchata will be.)
  5. Transfer to a pitcher and stir in remaining 2 cups cold water. Then add sugar and vanilla extract and stir well. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.


Walnut Horchata Martini

Ingredients

  • Ice cubes
  • 85g California walnut milk
  • 40g vodka
  • 40g coffee liqueur
  • 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
  • Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Preparation:

  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add walnut milk, vodka, liqueur and cinnamon.
  2. Shake and strain into a glass.
  3. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.


Walnut, Broccoli Apple Slaw

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1½ tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad

  • ¾ cup coarsely chopped California walnuts, toasted
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup minced red onion
  • 340g broccoli slaw
  • 1 large apple, cored and cut into small bite-size pieces

Preparation:

  1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Add walnuts, cranberries, onion, broccoli slaw, and apple. Toss well to coat with dressing.


Mango Summer Rolls With Walnut-Ginger Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

Walnut-Ginger Dipping Sauce

  • 1/2 cup California walnuts, divided
  • 1/4 cup hot water, plus additional if desired
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
  • 3 medium or 2 large fresh dates
  • Zest and juice of 2 limes

Summer Rolls

  • Thin rice noodles
  • 10 round rice paper wrappers
  • 1/2 cup thin julienne strips mango
  • 1/2 cup thin julienne strips red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup thin julienne strips peeled cucumber
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, torn into strips
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into strips

Preparation:

  1. To prepare dipping sauce, place 1/4 cup walnuts, water, soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, pepper flakes, dates and lime juice and zest in a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Finely chop remaining walnuts and stir into sauce, adding additional water if you prefer a thinner sauce.
  2. Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain well, rinse in cold water and drain again.
  3. Fill a large shallow dish with warm water and dip a sheet of rice paper in water, letting sit for about 10 seconds or until pliable but still somewhat firm. Remove from water and carefully shake off excess water; place on a cutting board.
  4. Place a small handful of cooked noodles and a few pieces of mango, bell pepper, and cucumber on the bottom third of the wrapper. Sprinkle with mint and basil.
  5. Gently fold the bottom over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll up as tightly as possible. Place seam side down on a serving platter. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.


Griddled Pineapple with Walnut Crust

Ingredients

  • 100g California walnuts, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup plus extra to serve
  • 1 large pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 12 wedges
  • 50g butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Mix the walnuts and maple syrup together and spread out onto a small baking tray lined with baking parchment, bake for 7-8 minutes until golden and allow to cool.
  3. Meanwhile, griddle the pineapple in 2 batches for 2 minutes each side to give golden bar marks.
  4. Whisk the butter and icing sugar together in a small bowl until pale and fluffy, stir in 25g of the walnut crumb.
  5. Serve the griddled pineapple sprinkled with the remaining walnut crumb, a drizzle of maple syrup and a spoonful of the walnut butter.

Cooks tip:
Great for barbecues. Try stirring the 25g walnut crumb into vanilla ice cream instead of the whisked butter.


Lemony Tuna Walnut Zoodle Salad

Ingredients
Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad:

  • 3/4 cup California walnuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup quartered and thinly sliced red onion
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 2 medium zucchini, spiralized
  • 2 cups lightly packed baby arugula
  • 2  cans oil-packed Yellowfin Tuna

Preparation:

  1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Add walnuts, red onion, capers and zucchini to bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Add arugula and tuna and toss lightly to mix. Serve immediately.


Chilled California Walnut and Cucumber Sunshine Soup

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 400g cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Small bunch of tarragon
  • Couple of sprigs of mint
  • Small bunch of basil
  • 100g California walnut halves
  • 220g Greek yoghurt
  • 30ml lemon juice (plus a little extra)
  • 70ml extra virgin olive oil
  • A pinch of salt and pepper

For the garnish:

  • 8 ice cubes
  • 2 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 50g California walnuts, toasted
  • Mixed herbs
  • Salad leaves
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

  1. Place all the ingredients for the soup into a blender and blitz until smooth, and then season with the salt and pepper, adding a little more lemon juice if you like.
  2.  Pour the soup into four bowls and garnish with your choice of fresh herbs and leaves, sliced radishes, toasted walnuts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  3. Pop one or two ice cubes in each bowl to keep the soup super chilled.


Stone Fruit With Whipped Walnut-Lemon Honey

Ingredients

  • Nonstick spray
  • 1/2 cup light-colored honey
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon fine lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon coarse lemon zest / chopped lemon peel
  • 1/3 cup minced California walnuts, lightly toasted
  • 1Kg fresh summer stone fruit – any combination of peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots, cherries, etc.
  • Lovely mint leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

  1. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, zest, honey and peel, and beat for a minute or two, until combined. Stir in the California walnuts.
  2. Pit and slice the fruit, and arrange it on a platter or on individual dessert plates. Spoon some sauce over or next to the fruit, then garnish with mint leaves. Serve right away.


Walnut Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup California walnuts, soaked for 2 hours or overnight in water
  • 2 1/2 cups walnut milk
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 4 teaspoons instant coffee
  • 1 tablespoon MCT oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Garnish with chopped California walnuts

Preparation:

  1. Drain the walnuts and place in a blender with walnut milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, instant coffee, oil, vanilla, and salt. Blend until very smooth. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled.
  2. Place into the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze until firm.
  3. Transfer it to a 1-quart container and store in the freezer.
  4. Scoop into the bowls and garnish with chopped California walnuts.


Puneri Mastani

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mango puree
  • 1/2 cup ice cubes
  • 3 cups curd
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup California walnut milk
  • 1/2 cup mango ice-cream
  • 4 tablespoons strawberry crush
  • 4 tablespoons fresh mango diced

Preparation:

  1. In a blender, churn together mango puree, California walnut milk, sugar, ice cubes, curd and mango ice-cream till it is smooth. Reserve till further use.
  2. Take a few tall glasses and add a tablespoon each of strawberry crush at the base.
  3. Top with the chilled smoothie.
  4. Finally top with fresh diced mangoes.
  5. Serve chilled.

How to make California walnut milk at home?
Soak a cup of untoasted walnuts for 2 hours in 2 cups of water. Strain and rinse walnuts well. Transfer to a blender with 1 cup cold water. Blend on high for a minute. Strain through a muslin cloth till you get an almost dry powdery mass in the muslin cloth after pressing the milk. Transfer in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. This gives you 2 cups of home-pressed California walnut milk!